Tucson Standard

The U.S. Army has granted $2.1 million to a research team led by Judith Su, an associate professor at the University of Arizona in biomedical engineering and optical sciences. The funding is aimed at developing a portable version of the FLOWER sensing device for military use.

The FLOWER device can detect compounds at zeptomolar concentrations, equivalent to 600 particles per liter. This level of sensitivity is beneficial for drug testing and various health diagnostics applications. The military believes it could potentially save the lives of active-duty personnel.

Judith Su previously received $2.8 million from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency for phase 1 research on her project FORWARD: FLOWER-Based Optical Resonators for Widely Applicable Reagent Detection. During this phase, the device demonstrated its ability to detect part-per-trillion concentrations of DIMP, a byproduct of sarin, a highly toxic nerve agent.

"We were also looking at things like nitric oxide, ammonia, formaldehyde, all these different chemicals," said Su. "We were able to demonstrate record levels of sensitivity."

FLOWER stands out because it doesn't require compound tagging, which involves adding a fluorescent or radioactive tag to highlight target compounds during testing. This feature makes FLOWER potentially cost-effective for identifying gas particles on the move.

In phase 2, Su aims to develop a prototype that transitions FLOWER sensors from lab settings to real-world applications. "We're making it a translatable device from the laboratory to real-world chemical sensing solutions," she stated.

Su envisions widespread use for the device: "Military personnel who want to know if it's safe to enter a room can see a red or green light response."

Euan McLeod, an associate professor and collaborator with Su, emphasized the early detection capabilities of the device. "Being far away from a toxic gas...this will keep people safer by giving them an early warning at a longer distance from the source," McLeod explained.

Over the next three years, McLeod and Su plan to miniaturize FLOWER's technology further. Su sees potential beyond military use: "If you can make a portable sensor for the military, that can also be useful in hospitals or point-of-care applications at home."